Tufting machines for producing terrylike fabrics and fabrics produced thereby



Jan. 2, 1968 c. w. WATK 5 3,361,096 TUFTING MACHINES FOR PROD NG TERRY-LIKE FABRICS AND FABRICS PRODUCED THEREBY Filed Dec. 23, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet l KIA INVFNTCR. 2 Charles W. Watkins BY 4 Fig-l My ATTORNEY v WITNESS 1968 c. w. WATKINS 3,361,096

TUFTING MACHINES FOR PRODUCING TERHY-LIKE I FABRICS AND FABRICS PRODUCED 'IHEREBY Filed Dec. 23, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Charles W Wafk/ns WITNESS ATTORNEY Jan. 2, 1968 c. w. WATKINS 3,361,096

TUFTING MACHINES FOR PRODUCING TERRY-LIKE FABRICS AND FABRICS PRODUCED THEREBY Filed Dec. 23, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

7| F i Charles W. Wafk/ns wmvsss TORNEY United States Patent 3,361,096 TUFTING MACHINES FOR PRODUCING TERRY- LIKE FABRICS AND FABRICS PRODUCED THEREBY Charles W. Watkins, Hixson, Tenn., assignor to The Singer Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Dec. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 515,991 4 Claims. (Cl. 112-79) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This disclosure relates to the textile arts and in particular to the production of pile fabrics such as, for example, a fabric simulating terry cloth. The disclosure teaches the production of a novel fabric construction through the provision of an apparatus and method whereby a pair of yarns are projected through a backing fabric which yarns are interlocked and disposed in such a manner as to produce a pile surface therefrom which is locked to the backing fabric.

The present invention relates to a tufting machine and method for producing a simulated terry cloth ormore particularly, a tufting machine and method for producing a tufted fabric having loops of thread projecting from both faces thereof, and to the tufted fabric produced thereby.

As evidenced for example in British Patent No.

962,594 it has heretofore been proposed to produce by a ice enclosed head 7, and bed walls 8 and 9 that define a bed 10. Journaled longitudinally of the head 7 in bearings 11 in the side plates 3 and 4 is a main shaft 12 that is adapted to be driven by a chain 13 that is entrained about a sprocket 14 on the main shaft 12 and a sprocket 15 on a short drive shaft 16 that is journaled at its innermost end in a bearing 17 secured to the side plate 4 and at its outermost end in a bearing 18 carried by a bracket 19 that is secured to the side plate 4.

The sprocket 15 is twice the size of the sprocket 14 whereby the main shaft 12 will be driven at twice the speed of the drive shaft 16, that is, upon each revolution of the drive shaft 16, the main shaft 12 will make two revolutions. The drive shaft 16 is adapted to be driven by an selected prime mover (not shown) which may be coupled to the drive shaft 16 as by a chain 20' that is entrained about a sprocket 21 on the drive shaft 16.

Mounted in the bottom of the head wall 6 at the front or input side of the machine are a pair of bushings 22 in which are slidably mounted push rods 23 which at their lower ends carry a needle bar 24 that is arranged transversely of the machine and carries a plurality of needles 25 which are equally spaced along the same transversely of the machine on a selected gauge. The axes of the push rods 23 are disposed at an acute angle of about twenty to twenty-five degrees to a vertical plane that includes the main shaft 12. Endwise reciprocation is imparted to the push rods 23 by a needle shaft 26 journaled on an axis parallel to the axis of the main shaft 12 in bearings 27 carried by the side plates 3 and 4 and having crank arms 28 secured thereon and connected through the loop of the other yarn on the opposite face of the backing fabric and being collapsed about the loop to hold the same and thereby resist raveling. A further feature of the invention is to expand the back stitch of the one yarn to form a loop on that face of the backing fabric.

Having in mind the above and other objects that will be 1 evident from an understanding of this disclosure, the invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangements of parts as illustrated in the presently preferred embodiment of the invention which is hereinafter set forth in such detail as to enable those skilled in the art readily to understand the function, operation, construction and advantages of it when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which? FIG. 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view transversely of a machine in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are fragmentary detail views illustrating the pile forming operation of the machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a detail sectional view on an enlarged scale of the pile forming instrumentalities and after a plurality of pile forming cycles and illustrating a row of pile formed thereby.

With reference to the drawings, the present invention is illustrated as embodied in a relatively narrow width tufting machine that is mounted on a standard 1 and that includes a frame 2 comprising a pair of opposed vertically-disposed side plates 3 and 4 (FIG. 2) between which extend a top plate 5, a head wall 6 that defines an at their free ends by links 29 to bifurcated brackets 30 on the upper ends of the push rods 23. Oscillation is imparted to the needle shaft 26 by an adjustable drive mechanism comprising a slotted crank 31 secured on the shaft 26 and to which is connected by an adjustably secured pivot screw 32 the free end of a pitman 33 that has a strap 34 at its other end which encircles an eccentric 35 on the main shaft 12.

The push rods 23 and needle bar 24 together with the associated parts comprise a first needle mechanism. There is also provided a second needle mechanism that is structurally similar to the first needle mechanism and comprises a pair of push rods 36 (one of which is shown in FIG. 1) that are mounted for endwise sliding in bushings 37 mounted in the head wall 6 at the back or output side of the machine. Upon the lower end of the push rods 36 there is secured a needle bar 38 that is arranged parallel to the needle bar 24 and carries a plurality of needles 39 which correspond in number to the number of needles 25 and are arranged on the same gauge as the needles 25 but are slightly offset laterally therefrom so that each needle 39 will pass the corresponding needle 25 in loop-seizing relation as illustrated in FIG. 2. This operation is more fully discussed hereinafter. The axes of the push rods 36 are disposed at the other side from the push rods 23 of a vertical plane that includes the main shaft 12 and, like the push rods 23, are disposed at an acute angle of about twenty to twenty-five degrees to such plane and thus at an angle of about forty to fifty degrees to the push rods 23. Endwise reciprocation is imparted to the push rods 36 and thus to the needle bar 38 and needles 39 by an oscillating needle shaft 40 journaled in the head 7 in the same manner as an on an axis parallel to the axis of the needle shaft 26 and which is connected to the push rod 36 by crank arms 41 each of which is secured to the needle shaft 40' and has the free end thereof connected by a link 42 to a bifurcated bracket 43 on the upper end of a push rod 36. Variable oscillation is imparted to the needle shaft 40 by a slotted crank arm 44 secured in the needle shaft 40 and to which is adjustably connected by a pivot screw 45 the free end of a pitman 46, the other end of which is formed with a strap 47 that encircles an eccentric 42 on the main shaft 12.

A yarn Y1 is adapted to be fed to each of the needles 25 by a yarn feed mechanism comprising a pair of yarn feed rolls 49 that are journaled for rotation in brackets 50 in the head wall 6 at the front and at the top of the machine.

The rolls 49 are connected together for unitary rotation by gears (not shown) and are adapted to be driven from the main shaft 12 by drive mechanism including an adjustable speed controlling unit 51 mounted on the top plate 5 of the frame 1 and driven by a chain 52 that is entrained about a sprocket 53 on the main shaft 12 and a sprocket 54 on the input shaft 55 of the unit 51. The output shaft 56 of the unit 51 is provided with a sprocket 57 that is connected by a chain 58 to a sprocket (not shown) on, for example, the upper one of the rolls 49. From the yarn feed rolls 49, the yarns Y1 are led to the respective needles 25 by yarn guides including the guides 60 mounted on the head wall 6 and the guide 61 carried by the needle bar 24.

A yarn Y2 is adapted to be fed to each of the needles 39 by a yarn feed mechanism that is substantially the same as the one heretofore described with respect to the yarns Y1 and that includes yarn feed rolls 62 journaled in brackets 63 mounted on the head wall 6 at the top and back of the machine. The feed rolls are driven by drive mechanism comprising an adjustable speed change unit 64 mounted in the top plate 5 and connected at its input end by a chain 65 to a sprocket 66 on the main shaft 12 and connected at the output end to, for example, the upper one of the rolls 62 by a chain 67. The yarns Y2 are guided to the needles 39 by a plurality of yarn guides 68 secured to the head wall 6 and a yarn guide 69 carried by the needle bar 38.

The needles 25 and 39 are adapted to penetrate a backing fabric F and to form therein loops of yarn to simulate a terry fabric. To support the fabric F against the thrust of the needles, there is provided the usual needle plate 70 that is carried by the bed plate 71 that is a part of the bed wall 8. The needle plate 70 is formed with fingers 72 the gauge of which corresponds to the gauge of the needles 25 and 39, which fingers are staggered with respect to the needles 25 and 39 so that the needles are adapted to penetrate between the fingers. The needle plate 70 is disposed at an acute angle to the horizontal that corresponds to the angle of inclination of the push rods 23 so that it is substantially normal to the push rods 23. At the same time the needle plate 70 is arranged so that needles 25 will penetrate between the fingers 72 adjacent to the base thereof. The needles 39 are disposed to penetrate the backing fabric and to pass between the fingers 7 and to intersect the needles 25 immediately below the backing fabric F as will be hereinafter more fully discussed.

The backing fabric F is adapted to be advanced by a feed mechanism across the needle plate 70 in the direction of the arrow A (FIG. 1) from a source such as a supply rool R that is carried for rotation by brackets 73 on the standard 1 at the front or input side of the machine. The feed mechanism comprises a pair of driven let-off rolls 74 journaled for rotation in brackets 75 at the front of the machine and connected together by gears (not shown) for unitary rotation. The let-off rolls 74 may be driven for example from the main shaft 12 by a variable speed change unit 76 (FIG. 2) mounted on the top plate and having its input shaft 77 connected by a sprocket 78 and chain 79 to a sprocket 80' on the main shaft 12. The output shaft 81 of the unit 76 is provided with a sprocket 82 about which is entrained a chain 83 that is also entrained about a sprocket 84 (FIG. 2) on the shaft of the upper one of the feed rolls 74.

In addition to the left-off rolls 74 the fabric feed mechanism includes a guide bar 85 that is parallel to the main shaft 12 and arranged in spaced relation with respect to the ends of the needle plate fingers 72 with the upper edge thereof in the plane defined by the upper or backing fabric supporting surface of the needle plate 78. The backing fabric F is bent over the bar 85 and passes downwardly over the work supporting surface of the bed wall 9 to the fabric feed rolls 86' which are similar to the let-off rolls 74 but which are driven at a slightly faster speed than the let-off rolls in order to maintain the fabric F under tension at the loop forming area. The feed rolls 86 are journaled for rotation in brackets 87 at the back of the machine and are connected together by gears (not shown) for unitary rotation and are driven from the let-off rolls 74 by means of a chain 88 (FIG. 2) that is entrained about a sprocket 89 that is mounted outwardly of the sprocket 84 on the shaft of the upper one of the feed rolls 74 and about a sprocket (not shown) on the shaft of the upper one of the feed rolls 86. An adjustable idler sprocket 90 is provided to adjust the tension in the chain 88 and to keep the same from sagging excessively.

Beneath the head wall 6 and midway between the push rods 23 and 36, there is provided a shaft 91 arranged parallel to the main shaft 12 and mounted in the side plates 3 and 4 for endwise sliding movement. The shaft 91 has secured thereto by mounting brackets 92 a looper bar 93 that carries a plurality of upper loopers '94 which function as stitch supporting fingers. The loopers 94 each include a stitch supporting finger 95 that overlies the backing fabric F in the area above the ends of the needle plate fingers 72 and project forwardly in the direction of the arrow A. The loopers 94 are equal in number to the number of needles 25 and 39 and are on the same gauge. At the same time, the loopers 94 are disposed such that the needles 25 pass in front of the same while the needles 39 penetrate between adjacent loopers 94 near the base of the finger 95 thereof. The shaft 91 is adapted to be shifted endwise reciprocably upon alternate stitches so that each needle 39 is adapted to descend upon opposite sides of the respective looper 94. The means for shifting the shaft 91 endwise comprises a barrel cam 96 secured on the drive shaft 16 inwardly of the sprocket 21 and having a two-step peripheral cam groove 97 that is tracked by a cam follower 98 secured to and projecting radially from the end of the shaft 91. The shaft 91 is held against turning by any suitable means such as a key 99 (FIG. 2).

Directly beneath the needles 25 and adapted to cooperate therewith are bottom loopers 100 which are secured in a looper bar 101 that is mounted by brackets 102 on a looper shaft 103. Oscillation is imparted to the looper shaft 103 by a pitman 104 pivotally and adjustably connected at its lower end to a crank 105 that is secured to the shaft 103 and at its upper end has a strap 106 that encircles an eccentric 107 on the main shaft 12.

For a simplicity, the operation as hereinafter described in FIGS. 3-6 is limited to the operations of a single pile forming unit, that is one each of the needles 25 and 39 and the loopers 94 and 100-. It will be understood of course that normally a plurality of such units will be provided and that each of such units will operate in the same manner as the unit hereinafter described. In FIGS. 3-6 the direction of motion of the various elements are indicated where appropriate by arrows adjacent to the element.

With reference to FIG. 3, in the pile forming cycle the needle 39 advances to pass on one side of the finger 95 of the looper 94 (the front side in FIG. 3) and to penetrate the backing fabric F and to pass between the fingers 72 of the needle plate 70. The needle 39 thus projects a loop of the yarn Y2 through the backing fabric F. The needle 25 is arranged to penetrate the backing fabric F at a point in front of the point of penetration by the needle 39 and passes downwardly between the needle plate fingers 72 and closely adjacent to or, in other words, in loop seizing relation to the needle 39. In FIG. 3 the needle 25 is also in its advance stroke but it lags the needle 39 by an amount such that the needle 25 in its advance stroke passes the needle 39 shortly after the needle 39 has begun its return stroke. Thus, as seen in FIG. 4, the needle 25 enters between the needle 39 and the limb of the yarn Y2 that is on the adjacent side of the needle 39 to project a loop of yarn Y1 therethrough and at the same to seize and hold the loop of the yarn Y2 as the needle 39 completes its return stroke.

With reference to FIG. 5, after the needle 25 has completed its advance stroke and has started on its return stroke, the looper 100 is advanced to seize the loop of the yarn Y1 on the needle 25 and to hold it while the needle 25 completes its return stroke. As the needle 25 continues its return stroke, it releases the loop of the yarn Y2 and leaves a loop of the yarn Y1 extending therethrough.

After the needle 25 has cleared the fabric F in its return stroke and until the needle 39 penetrates the fabric on its advance stroke in the next cycle, which is shortly after the position illustrated in FIG. 6, the fabric F is advanced one stitch length by the feed rolls 74 and 86. When the needle 25 approaches the end of its return stroke, the looper 100 is also in its return stroke and releases the loop of the yarn Y1.

When the needle 39 is near the top of its stroke, that is at the end of its return stroke and at the beginning of its next advance stroke or, in other words, between the positions illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the upper looper 94 is shifted laterally so that upon the next advance or work penetrating stroke of the needle 39, and as illustrated in FIG. 6, it will pass on that side of the finger 95 opposite from the side on which it passed on the previous stroke. Thus, a loop of the yarn Y2 is laid over the finger 95 at the base thereof to provide a loop of the yarn Y2 on the top of the fabric F.

In FIG. 7 there is illustrated a row of pile formed upon a succession of pile forming cycles. As will be evident from FIG. 7, the work consists of a plurality of loops L1 of the yarn Y1 depending from the bottom face of the fabric F at spaced intervals with lengths of the yarn Y1, that is, the back-stitch -B1 laying along the top face of the fabric F between the points of penetration by the loops L1. The yarn Y2 has loops L2 thereof projecting through the fabric F at points intermediate the points of penetration by the loops L1 and extending rearwardly in the direction of feed of the fabric F to encircle the adjacent one of the loops L1 at the base thereof or, in other words, the loop Ll extends through the preceding loop L2 on the bottom face of the fabric F, the loop L2 being collapsed about the loop L1. On the top face of the fabric F, the lengths of the yarn Y2 that was laid over the finger 95, that is, the back-stitch B2, is expanded to provide a loop of the yarn Y2 on the top face of the fabric F. As the fabric F is advanced by the fabric feeding means, the loops B2 are carried off the free end of the finger 95 which is enlarged to expand the loop and thus tighten the loops L2 on the bottom face of the fabric. Also, to tighten or to set the loops, there may be provided yarn jerkers 108 and 109 which may be oscillated by mechanism (not shown) from the main shaft 12 and which engage and expand the length of the yarns Y1 and Y2 between two adjacent ones of the guides 60 and 68 respectively, thereby pulling the yarns, the yarn jerkers being operative while the loops L1 and L2 are held respectively by the looper 100 and needle 25.

As will be evident, the engagement of the loops L1 and L2 on the bottom face of the fabric F tends not only to resist pulling out the loops formed by the back stitch B2 of the yarn Y2 but also, and particularly after laundering, resists pulling at the loops L1 of the yarn Y1.

Numerous alterations of the structure herein disclosed will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be understood that the present disclosure relates to a preferred embodiment of my invention which is for purposes of illustration only and not to be construed as a limitation of the invention. All such modifications which do not depart from the spirit of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus set forth the nature of this invention, what I claim herein is:

1. In a tufting machine for producing a terry-like fabric, means for supporting a backing fabric and for advancing the same across said supporting means, a first yarn carrying needle, means for supporting said first needle for endwise reciprocation on one side of the backing fabric and for penetrating the backing fabric upon reciprocation thereof to project a loop of yarn therethrough, a second yarn carrying needle, means for supporting said second needle for endwise reciprocation on the same side of the backing fabric as said first needle and on an axis inclined with respect to the axis of said first needle for intersecting the same in loop seizing relation at a point on the opposite side of the backing fabric whereby said second needle will enter a loop of yarn presented by said first needle and hold the same during the return stroke. of said first needle and will project a loop of yarn through the backing fabric and through the loop of yarn presented by said first needle, and a looper disposed on the side of the backing fabric opposite from said second needle for entering the loop of yarn presented by said second needle and for holding the same during the return stroke of said second needle to provide a loop on the looper side of said fabric, and means for actuating said first and second needles and said looper.

2. In a tufting machine for producing a terry-like fabric, means for supporting a backing fabric and for advancing the same across said supporting means, a first needle, means for mounting said first needle for endwise reciprocation on one side of the backing fabric and for penetrating the backing fabric upon reciprocation thereof to project a loop of yarn therethrough, a second needle, means for mounting said second needle for endwise reciprocation on the same side of the backing fabric as said first needle and on an axis intersecting said first neeedle in loop seizing relation at a point on the opposite side of the backing fabric whereby said second needle will enter a loop of yarn presented by said first needle and hold the same during the return stroke of said first needle and will project a loop of yarn through the back ing fabric and through the loop of yarn presented by said first needle, a looper disposed on the side of the backing fabric opposite from said second needle for entering the loop of yarn presented by said second needle and for holding the same during the return stroke of said second needle to provide a loop on the looper side of said fabric, a finger disposed on the same side of the backing fabric as said first needle and arranged in the direction of feed of the backing fabric and closely adjacent to the path of said first needle for intersecting the yarn carried by said first needle to form a loop on the finger side of said fabric, and means for moving said finger from one side to the other of the path of said first needle upon alternate strokes of said first needle.

3. In a tufting machine for producing a terry-like fabric, means for supporting a backing fabric and for advancing the same across said supporting means, a first needle, means for mounting said first needle on one side of the backing fabric for endwise reciprocation on an axis at an acute angle to the backing fabric and for penetrating the backing fabric upon reciprocation thereof to project a loop of yarn therethrough, a second needle, means for mounting said second needle on the same side of the backing fabric as said first needle for reciprocation on an axis substantially normal to the backing fabric and intersecting the first needle in loop seizing relation at a point on the opposite side of the backing fabric whereby said second needle will enter a loop of yarn presented by said first needle and hold the same during the return stroke of said first needle and will project a loop of yarn through the backing fabric and through the loop of yarn presented by said first needle, a looper disposed on the side of the backing fabric opposite from said second needle for entering the loop of yarn presented by said second needle and for holding the same during the return stroke of said second needle to provide a loop on the looper side of said fabric, a finger disposed on the same side of the backing fabric as said first needle and arranged in the direction of feed of the backing fabric and closely adjacent to the path of travel of said first needle for intersecting the yarn carried by said first needle to form a loop on the finger side of said fabric, and means for moving said finger from one side to the other of the path of said first needle upon alternate strokes of said first needle.

4. A tufted terry-like fabric comprising a backing fabric having a plurality of laterally spaced rows of loops, each of which row consists of a first yarn having loops projecting through the backing fabric at spaced intervals from the first side thereof to the second side and a backstitch on the first side of said fabric extending between the points of projection of yarn through said backing fabric, a second yarn having loops projecting through the backing fabric from the first side to the second side at points intermediate the points of projection of the loops of the first yarn and a back stitch formed by said second yarn on the first side of said backing fabric and extending between the points of projection of said second yarn through said backing fabric, the loop of said second yarn also projecting through the loops of the first yarn on the second side of the backing fabric, the loops of the first yarn being collapsed about the loops of the second yarn, and loops formed in the back-stitch of said first yarn.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 18,470 10/ 1857 Robertson 112--197 645,815 3/1900 Klemm 112--162 1,777,699 10/1930 McAdams 66-l94 X 2,058,271 10/1936 Taubert 112-165 2,637,290 5/1953 Sigoda 112-466 X 2,813,501 11/1957 Shotsky 112-266 3,176,643 4/ 1965 Spencer 112266 FOREIGN PATENTS 497,174 5/ 1930 Germany.

HERBERT F. ROSS, Primary Examiner. 

